Andrew Maclean | Portrait of My World | Brooklyn, NY

MediaStorm Projects

2011-01-29T17:06:00.004-05:00

These are the projects I helped with while an intern at MediaStorm:

On April 20, 2010 an explosion tore through the Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The disaster happened as workers were finalizing the drilling of the exploratory Macondo well, forty miles off the coast of Louisiana. It was, by any standard, a catastrophe. See the project at http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/media/

For the Undesired project, I worked on both the feature and epilogue:

In India, all women must confront the cultural pressure to bear a son. The consequences of this preference is a disregard for the lives of women and girls. From birth until death they face a constant threat of violence. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/undesired

ajmaclean.com

2011-01-19T11:56:00.002-05:00

Hey all,

So I'm no longer updating this blog you can see my work and get in contact with me via my site at: ajmaclean.com

Time to say Goodbye

2010-02-27T13:53:00.002-05:00

Obviously I haven't been keeping up on this blog...at all. I apologize if you missed me. I am going to take it offline for awhile and come out with a new blog as soon as I get around to it. Hopefully it will be a little bit more integrated into everything else I'm part of. Until then, later y'all.

Time for a WordPress blog, suggestions?

2009-11-29T12:51:00.002-05:00

After looking at The Death of The Blog Post I think it's time to move over to WordPress and design a new blog. Those who are using it have any suggestions?

Veterans Listening Project/National Day of Listening

2009-11-27T12:25:00.003-05:00

Today is the National Day of Listening. Please check out the projects myself and several others from Syracuse have put together on the Veterans Listening Project. You can also create your own stories by going to the National Day of Listening site run by StoryCorps from NPR.

My Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T22:55:00.003-05:00

I had a nice, quiet slow Thanksgiving in Syracuse this year. Here's a look at what I did, it seemed to be based around food, TV and a nap, like any good Thanksgiving I think :-). Click for a larger view:

Party Crasher

2009-11-26T18:13:00.003-05:00

I saw the recent stories about the couple that crashed the White House dinner the other night and I had one of those moments where I knew I had seen them before. After reading through the story I realized "The America's Cup of Polo!" I had photographed the event a couple years ago and Tareq Salahi (one of the organizers) while I was there. Unfortunately I haven't found one of his wife, but I do recall her being there. I thought it was kind of funny that I got Tareq with America's Most Wanted John Walsh:

Ira Glass

2009-11-18T01:34:00.002-05:00

Ira Glass came to SU to speak about story telling, journalism and how he hates facebook (sort of). It was awesome, inspiring and refreshing. Here's the audio for the entire (1 hour 45 min) show.

IraGlass_SU.mp3 -

Individuals

2009-11-04T18:17:00.005-05:00

As storytellers, we're constantly focusing our stories on individual people and their lives. I was a little bored today, going through some archives and found these photos. Are they the best photos? No. Do I care? Not really. I was just thinking that these were some people I wish I had talked to more and perhaps told their story.

Fall Workshop Multimedia Piece

2009-11-04T18:12:00.001-05:00

I've finalized my multimedia piece (I hope). Let me know what you think.

Fruits of Labor from AJ Maclean on Vimeo.

SU Fall Workshop

2009-09-28T18:29:00.003-04:00

So every year, the photo department at Syracuse puts together a workshop where all the photo students participate in an intense weekend where we find stories, shoot them, then put together (in my class's case) multimedia pieces. It involves lots of frustration, little to no sleep but ultimately very rewarding and great experience. The workshop invites professionals from around the country to come and act as coaches for small teams of participants. I know my coaches Will Yurman and Jesse Neider were excellent and really brought the best out in me. What's particularly funny is that Jesse will be ON my team at the Eddie Adams Workshop in a couple weeks so it'll be another sleepless photographic weekend together!

The weekend found me spending time at the Beak & Skiff Apple Farm in Lafayette, NY where I followed around one of the Jamaican migrant workers for a couple days. He was quiet and two days didn't really afford me the time to break down the barriers to really get to know him, but overall I'm pretty satisfied with the photos and even happier that I got to listen to a bunch of guys (he leads a crew of nine Jamaicans) say "mon" after every other sentence. Anyway, below are some of the photos I came away with. After a little fine-tuning I'll have the complete multimedia piece up.

This is Marshall Skiff, the owner of the apple farm.

If I was a poet...

2009-09-22T23:24:00.003-04:00

I would probably want to write a poem here.

Voice

2009-09-05T01:43:00.002-04:00

So I keep a quote book, randomly I find many quotes and other pieces of inspiration/motivation that I write down. One of the first things I wrote in this quote book quite a while ago is this:

Please - let me
listen to myself again
uninterrupted
until the voice speaks again

so hard to understand
like a long distance call

Let me again
be silent within me
so I can hear
this feeble voice

I so long for
for so long
again

-Ernst Haas

I figure with my last semester in grad school starting, and the fact that so many photographers struggle to find their "voice" including myself, that I would post this because it always reminds me to look within myself to find that voice and it's only me that can develop and express it.

A little road trip

2009-06-26T10:32:00.003-04:00

I spent the last couple weeks driving all around the country with Megan and by myself. Here's a couple pics from Michigan and Chicago.

Now off to Uganda and Kenya! I won't probably update this blog while I'm gone but you can follow my travels over at kareafrica.wordpress.com!

Cassie & Phil

2009-06-15T15:58:00.003-04:00

Megan's friends Cassie and Phil got married a little over a week ago. It was a fantastic ceremony and reception and while I don't usually like to shoot friend's weddings this one was a blast and combining fun and work went together seamlessly. I'm hoping like many photographers these days to venture more into the wedding/portrait world to make some money and considering my girlfriend is a wonderful photographer in her own right I think it could work out well in the long run. Here's some photos:

Becoming a Photographer

2009-06-01T22:14:00.001-04:00

Found this via APAD:

"When people ask me how they can become a photographer, I almost never mention cameras, lenses, or technique.

I say, ‘If you want to be a photographer, first leave home.’ As Paul Theroux, a great writer and friend, further advises, “Go as far as you can. Become a stranger in a strange land. Acquire humility.

Leaving home really means that the photographer (or writer) has to wander, observe, and to paraphrase Theroux, concentrate on people in their landscape. That is what I try to achieve in my pictures."

I find those words to live by.

Kare Africa (New Blog)

2009-05-30T22:52:00.003-04:00

For those who don't know, I'm headed to Uganda and Kenya in about a month to work with a couple NGOs as a multimedia producer. I've started a blog where I'll be posting work and thoughts on my trip. The address is: kareafrica.wordpress.com. "Kare" (besides the obvious 'care') means "opportunity" in the local Acholi language in Uganda. It'll be an interesting, eye-opening experience that I can't wait to get started on!

Beer and Eggos

2009-05-11T15:41:00.002-04:00

This past weekend was graduation weekend for many of my friends and my girlfriend, Megan. It was crazy and fun to see everyone getting ready to move on to their next endeavours. I'll have some graduation photos up soon but as I was walking around the other night I saw this scene in the yard of some college housing. Reminded me of the diets some of us tend to live on in college...

Africa

2009-04-27T23:51:00.004-04:00

So I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet. I'm going to Africa this summer! I'm headed to Uganda and Kenya. Megan is going to be there as well but working for a different organization than me. I'm teamed up with a group called Aid Africa and am going to be doing multimedia/photography work for them while I'm over there. Megan is working with a group called Every Child Ministries. We'll both be doing something very close to my heart...helping others. Then after a few weeks in Uganda we're going to head together over to Kenya and check out the area. It's going to be pretty amazing. Any tips/tricks/advice anyone has for the trip please let me know.

Cliff Notes..

2009-04-14T08:26:00.004-04:00

So I realize previous post is a bit lengthy but I mean every word in it and I hope to spur even the smallest bit of change by it while revealing myself a little bit more to you. However, the general idea I wanted to accomplish with it is this:

Every moment may be the last moment you have to treat people with respect. Take advantage of it with the patience and understanding that you might not always get the response you hope but there is no reason not to do it.

I found this quote: "Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of being."

A lifelong endeavour

2009-04-10T14:39:00.006-04:00

I am crying as I write this post. So many emotions, so many thoughts are running through my head. I've been wanting to write this post for a long time, it's slowly been building in me. I've held off I think because you read all the time that blog posts should be professional and that no one really cares about your feelings or thoughts anyway so why post something that doesn't help you. In a way, those ideas lead into what this post is all about.

Today, is a rough day. I found out today that a friend from college died yesterday. Actually I can't even call him a friend because I'm pretty sure I didn't like him because I thought he wanted my girlfriend at the time. Regardless I knew this kid and looking back I was being a paranoid idiot and I should have taken the time to get to know him. Even though he wasn't my friend, finding out has put me in that place where I am examining my life a little closer. Also today, my brother called me and reminded me that my family is moving out of the house we've lived in for the past eight years. This destroys me. It is particularly hard because it is the last house where my family lived as a whole unit. My parents are now divorced, my dad lives outside of St. Louis and my mom in Pennsylvania near her family. Never again will I have a home to go to where my whole family will be. I have become a statistic in this country with divorced parents living around the country. Until the day I have my own family, I no longer will have a family for Christmas to go to, no longer have cards signed "Love Mom and Dad", no longer will I have the comfort of knowing that the relationship I had always looked to as an example for my own, exists.

This past year has been an interesting part of my life. I mean every year has been but this one stands out a bit. I've started to become my own person, making my own decisions in life, responsible for myself. It's made me think about the priorities in my life and examine the directions of other people's lives in an effort to gain guidance or understanding about what my life means. Through this process of evaluation I've come around to a way that I determine if something is important to me or not. I ask myself the question:

"When I'm 90 years old, or on my death bed, what will be important to me at that point?"

As you can safely assume the only real thing I've come up with is:

The people I love.

It's the only thing that matters. But there's always room for argument, not against necessarily but to add other things. I also thought about putting God on that list, but I didn't because I know he supercedes my point behind that evaluation. I know that God is always there for me and I will live my life the best way I can under him, but for the things I can choose as a human on Earth, the ones I love are the things I can tangibly be closest to.

One day I will have my own family, but getting there has been interesting. I've never had a relationship longer than nine months, I've told a few girls I love them and then broken their hearts, I've had girls love me and then broken mine. Why is it the most powerful emotion is the one that people are most scared of? Love is NOT a negative emotion or scary thing like so many treat it like. I've been destroyed emotionally like so many people and I've survived, a little scarred, but stronger. I've often been accused of diving in too fast in relationships, that I come on really strong. That I fall in love too quickly. I have to argue though, what's wrong with that? I think that going in fully is the only way in which you can know if that person truly loves you. Plus I don't want to ever look back on a relationship and think I didn't give it my all. With every breath of every day I want to love the woman I'm with. It goes back to my question about priorities, when I'm dying I want to know that I have loved her and given everything I am. Screw the consequences, if it doesn't work out obviously they didn't feel the same and I'm better off. I think people feel that love is too much of a game, that you have to act and do certain things in stages so it works out better. I think that's just fear holding them back. Is it scary? Yes, of course, rejection burns more than any other. But the potential for it being the greatest thing ever in my life motivates me to ignore my fears and jump in head first. Because it could mean everything. Absolutely everything. Love to me is like breathing...you can't live without it and holding your breath only makes you look silly.

Why do we hurt each other? Aren't we all in the same situation, same fears and feelings? I'll ask a question that directs me to my point about this.

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow (really take a moment to think about it) how would you treat people? Would you break the heart of your girl/boyfriend? Would you scowl at the people who have hurt you in the past? Would you want to do something negative at all, knowing that it's the last thing you will EVER do?

I'm hoping anyone that reads this says no, I know I would. So why act like that on any regular day? Why not try to improve and work on your relationship if it's on the rocks? Why not forgive the people that have hurt you and possibly rejoice with them because there was a time they knew you better than most? Why do anything negative that does nothing more than cause pain? We all hate pain, why not consciously attempt not to create it? Forgive, be patient, be understanding. I know I definitely need to do all these things more. Will you do them with me?

Recently I have rediscovered my faith. Possibly because of the challenges in my life I felt the desire to turn somewhere for help. I've been to therapists, I've talk to friends, and they've all been good but I've always felt there was something more out there for me to look to. I know many of you who read this have objections about religion, you scoff at it or think it's useless. I know how you feel, I used to feel the same way. I felt that without proof, how could I follow something that seems like a fairy tale? It scares me even now to present these ideas for fear of being judged. But I have faith, it is leading me through dark times and good times. It is making me want to be a better person to the people around me no matter what their beliefs are. It makes me want to be a good person in this world. How else should one act but to better the lives of others around them? Selflessly?

The only thing I'm scared of is being alone. Several people out there right now probably just laughed at that statement because I am guilty of pushing people away out of fear. To those I have hurt, I am sorry. I am no better than anyone else even though through this post it may seem like I'm trying to be. I only wish to express the things I have learned, more for my own self than anything, if you get anything out of it, please let me know, I would like to experience more people in a positive way than worrying about how I am perceived.

I no longer wish to worry about the future or lament over the past. I want to live now, I want to experience the people around me and be accepted for the simple fact that I wish to improve the world with everyone one person at a time, starting with myself. I don't want to worry about the future because it'll come, I can't control it. I've made it pretty well so far, what reason do I have to think that it won't continue that way. All I can do is be right here, right now.

Everyday is truly a gift, because tomorrow could be the last day. The last day for your relationship with the person you've loved for so long. The last day for you. I will no longer be afraid of the things in my life, because it is the only life I have and I will not fear my one chance to do things right.

I wonder if anyone will join me in these thoughts and feelings, maybe it's enough that I do it for myself. I want to improve the lives of people, but I can't do it alone.

Play

2009-04-08T00:31:00.007-04:00

...it's some advice I keep hearing that I need to heed more often. While I wouldn't consider the photos below by any means good, but I went out and just shot stuff that seemed interesting to me. Unfortunately downtown Syracuse is pretty empty at night so no photos with people to really speak of.

Marc Jacobs Emulations

2009-03-31T22:39:00.004-04:00

So this semester is kicking my butt basically. I feel like I never have time but don't actually get anything done...it's weird. I'm not alone either, everyone I talk to feels the same way. Anyway, this week in my fashion class we had to emulate an advertising campaign. We worked with members of an advertising class who acted as art directors. My selected fashion designer was Marc Jacobs. I've never heard of him before but the clothes are interesting. Even more interesting was the fact that every campaign for the company has been shot by Juergen Teller. That's brand consistency... So I tried to emulate his high-contrast, model-not-caring style while putting my own look into it. Here's what came out:

This one was more for fun than anything. I just thought it was so awkward with that hat in the woods.

Smitten in the Mitten

2009-03-09T17:49:00.004-04:00

...I know...cheesy title...what can I say?

I spent the weekend in Michigan visiting my girlfriend's family and friends. I had an entire post all typed up about my experience with them and everything but I decided that made it too complex. Simply I can say I've never felt as home or relaxed before as I did with them. Her family is awesome and her friends are fantastic. I don't know if I could have asked for a better weekend.

Her parents

Buddy (top) and Snicky trying to grab a tennis ball in Lake Michigan

A spot for couples apparently :)

Only one thing creates sunsets like this

Fashion

2009-02-24T23:53:00.004-05:00

Well I'm taking a fashion photo class and I have to say it's a whole different type of being creative than I'm used to. I think I need to start looking around for more inspiration. Anyway, here's a few from a recent assignment.

Inspiration

2009-02-16T13:35:00.002-05:00

Nick McCann inspired me to start posting photos and photographers that inspire me, so maybe it'll inspire you if I do it!

The images below are by photographer Mikael Kennedy. Much of his work is of landscapes and scenes, but the ones I found the most interesting involve people. He creates such a mood that you can feel with his photos.

Via Exposure Compensation

Finally!

2009-02-15T21:17:00.003-05:00

Well it's taken me a little bit, but I finally created a website of my work. Granted it cost me my "O" key on my keyboard (though it obviously can still be used), but I pretty happy with the final product. I went through qufoto.com after deciding I didn't have the time to design my own at the moment. My new site can be seen at: www.ajmaclean.com Please feel free to offer any suggestions of things I could change!

Some randoms and an alley

2009-02-08T15:00:00.006-05:00

Here's a couple pieces of graffiti from the same alley way:

And sometimes the shutter button hitting your hip creates some beautiful images:

Polaroid is saved!

2009-01-30T19:24:00.001-05:00

YES!! Oh happy days...

Here is the article

Oh, now I can go out and buy those polariod cameras I wanted without the fear they would become paper weights.

Via The Click

A new book

2009-01-27T00:56:00.003-05:00

I just got Sam Abell's new book today. I can't wait to read it.

I really need internet

2009-01-23T23:52:00.004-05:00

Well another semester underway. I'm already feeling better about this one than I did the last one. I think having a semester under my belt really helped get me back into the motions of school. It's going to be an interesting semester. Between fashion photography, picture editing, web design and being a TA (or IA as they call them here) for four(!) classes, it's going to be tough to balance it all but I've made it through the first couple weeks largely unscathed. I've started going to church again and wow is it different. I mean I knew it had gone to a much more contemporary route with rock bands and more liberal understandings but actually experiencing it was a different experience! It's nice having it part of my life again, it gives me something to fall back on when I'm not feeling so...motivated.

Below are a few photos thus far into the semester, I'm definitely a little rusty after barely shooting during break. But first I found this recently and it's become a mantra for me:

"A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed, and is thereby, a true manifestation of what one feels about life in its entirety."

-Ansel Adams, 1982

A man on South Salina who told me I needed to "pick up sticks" (I don't think that means to hang out)

The ducks were braving a half-froze pond

A origami crane at the train station before I headed to Wisconsin

I love walking through the snow.

Oh! Congrats to Tim Gruber and Jenn Ackerman on their engagement!

Whew, sorry about that...

2009-01-02T19:22:00.002-05:00

...it's been awhile. First off, Happy New Year! 2008 was good to a lot of people but also pretty rough to many others. Let's all hope 2009 is better for everyone. I've been a little absent obviously, between final projects and being back in Wisconsin (where I have no internet and I'm currently using my friend's computer at his house) I've had limited access and been a little distracted. I don't quite know what to say at the moment , per my usual demeanor, I've been rather introspective over the last month and have come to a few conclusions. One, I don't know anything, but I like to try to figure things out. Two, I think I'm going to start going back to church, it seems like the right thing to do in my life. Three, I'm starting to trust myself in all sorts of aspects of my life and it feels rather cool. Finally, I've made the decision starting now that everything I do with my life/photography/etc. is going to serve a purpose, I don't want to just exist.

I hope everyone who reads this is starting their 2009 exactly the way that they want to, of if you aren't on working toward it being that way. I'm looking forward to another semester at Syracuse, it'll be an interesting semester, one that will include my first real attempts at fashion photography, one will just be an advanced PJ class and my last class will finally give me a chance to build my website!

It should be an interesting time coming up, we'll see what happens ;-)

Magnum's Advice to Young Photographers

2008-12-01T11:37:00.002-05:00

Well I know this has been around for a couple weeks but I finally got around to reading it. Lots of good advice of course, one piece in particular that strikes a personal cord with me is Peter Marlow's advice:

"Be yourself, get up early, and don't try too hard, as whatever is trying to come out will come eventually without any effort, learn to trust your instincts and don't think about what others will think or about the process too much. Work hard but enjoy it."

I need to trust my instincts more.

"God just needed another angel"

2008-11-26T22:47:00.005-05:00

20-month-old Imani Jennings died November 21, 2008. Objectivity has gone out the window. I am now starting a project around the idea of juvenile violence in hopes of education not only youth, but educators and government officials in hopes of preventing events like this in the future.

May God who created you from love and for love
heal and bless you –
embracing you in the tenderest of mercies.
May Jesus who died for you lift the burden of pain from your heart – and take it to himself – for he is gentle – and humble of heart – and desires rest for your soul.
May the Spirit of consolation deep within you awaken anew – to comfort you and strengthen you;  to restore your trust  and renew your love.
May Mary, the mother of Jesus, whose own heart was pierced as with a sword, enfold your prayers for healing in her own.
And may you find peace in the love of the People of God – forgiving its brokenness – understanding its frailty – and trusting its deep desire to be reconciled with you – so that you, God’s precious son/ daughter – can once again find in the its midst a people and a place that you can call home.

I'm feeling the pressure...

2008-11-21T13:01:00.006-05:00

It's coming down to the end of the semester and everything is pretty much falling apart. Stories I thought were solid are vanishing before my eyes... Anyway it's been awhile since I've updated so here's some recent photos:

Took a trip to DC to check out FotoWeek. We got to talk to David Burnett and and Christopher Morris as well as see several photo exhibits. It was nice being back in DC but I can't say I'd ever want to live there again.

A random kite flew up as we were walking over the Key Bridge.

I can do multiple exposures on my camera!! Go Nikon!

A couple sports features for a class assignment:

I've never been to a drag show until a couple weeks ago, it was an awesome time and rather surreal.

I am working on a story about the homeless in Syracuse:

A food assignment

2008-11-07T17:47:00.003-05:00

A recent assignment: We had to shoot either food, fashion or create a photo illustration. I chose to do food but didn't want to create the typical "pretty" food photos you would normally see in magazines and such. I instead chose to photograph "stress foods" or typical things people turn to when they're stressed out (maybe a sign of the semester or an attempt to be creative I'm not sure). I continue to try to push myself out of my comfort zone while still creating interesting images. I think I definitely created a unique concept (at least unique to myself), but how successful they really are, I'm not sure.

43 Presidents Later

2008-11-05T08:43:00.003-05:00

Found this while I roaming through the blogs I read each morning.

by Patrick Moberg

Trying to push the boundaries

2008-10-28T23:35:00.003-04:00

I've been feeling recently that I'm not pushing myself in my photos (I swear I've written about this before) but that I'm shooting safe and what I've know for my 5 or so years as a photographer. I've been told on several occasions (including today) that I shoot a lot of what I've already seen in photo books, online, etc. rather than finding my voice, shooting the way I like to see. So I've been talking with Bruce, my professor, he thinks I need to engage myself more in class, experiment/play more with my photos. So here is my first attempt. Obviously still a lot of safe stuff but then I was lacking in subject matter (it was 8pm, in a snowy/rainy downtown Syracuse) but I tried not to think too much about what I was shooting and just shoot to shoot.

Changes in life

2008-10-25T21:33:00.004-04:00

Well they did it! They're married!

Life just keeps on changing.

One More Week!

2008-10-10T19:10:00.002-04:00

Well it'll be one week as of tomorrow that Ian and Michelle are getting married. Wow..I'm really excited for it because I feel like after all the years, he finally found the perfect girl for him. He's a good guy and she's an even more amazing woman. Love you guys.

Pictorials

2008-10-10T19:07:00.002-04:00

Well I've been in a bit of a shooting slump for a few weeks but this past week we had pictorials for our assignment and I felt much better. I've always been a graphic shooter so pictorials are right up my alley.

Nachtwey's Wish

2008-10-03T10:10:00.003-04:00

Today James Nachtwey's TED wish was revealed. The link to the website is xdrtb.org. Here is the video:

Info below from the CDC (link)
What is XDR TB?
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) is a relatively rare type of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). It is resistant to almost all drugs used to treat TB, including the two best first-line drugs: isoniazid and rifampin. XDR TB is also resistant to the best second-line medications: fluoroquinolones and at least one of three injectable drugs (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin).

How is XDR TB spread?
Drug-susceptible (regular) TB and XDR TB are spread the same way. TB germs are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. These germs can float in the air for several hours, depending on the environment. Persons who breathe in the air containing these TB germs can become infected.

TB is not spread by

shaking someone’s hand
sharing food or drink
touching bed linens or toilet seats
sharing toothbrushes
kissing

Why is XDR TB so serious?
Because XDR TB is resistant to the most powerful firstline and second-line drugs, patients are left with treatment options that are much less effective and often have worse treatment outcomes. XDR TB is of special concern for persons with HIV infection or other conditions that can weaken the immune system. These persons are more likely to develop TB disease once they are infected, and also have a higher risk of death once they develop TB disease.

Questions

2008-10-01T09:46:00.002-04:00

Who am I? And how do my photographs show who I am?

I want to answer that.

James Nachtwey's wish revealed October 3rd

2008-10-01T09:16:00.002-04:00

James Nachtwey, the world's most well-known photojournalist or self-proclaimed "anti-war photographer" is unveiling a project that he has spent over two years creating. It's part of his $100,000 grant he obtained from TED that is given to create positive change in the world. His project will be revealed on October 3 online. You can click this image on the 3rd to go to his project.

Here is his video of his TED prize acceptance speech:

Finally, his profile off of TED.com for those who don't know him:

For the past three decades, James Nachtwey has devoted himself to documenting wars, conflicts and critical social issues, working in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, South Africa, Russia, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo, Romania, Brazil and the United States.

Nachtwey has been a contract photographer with Time since 1984. However, when certain stories he wanted to cover -- such as Romanian orphanages and famine in Somalia -- garnered no interest from magazines, he self-financed trips there. He is known for getting up close to his subjects, or as he says, "in the same intimate space that the subjects inhabit," and he passes that sense of closeness on to the viewer.

In putting himself in the middle of conflict, his intention is to record the truth, to document the struggles of humanity, and with this, to wake people up and stir them to action.

This American Life

2008-09-28T11:58:00.001-04:00

I love the NPR program but I had no idea they had videos too. This one was especially interesting.

A couple randoms

2008-09-27T20:45:00.004-04:00

A fun little video

2008-09-27T20:26:00.002-04:00

I found this video on ted.com. It's a talk given by David Griffin, Photo Director for National Geographic, about the importance of photography and how we connect to it. It's not overly deep or insightful but still rather interesting. A quote: "...you have to be able to create a visual narrative, you have to be able to tell a story..." I've been told off and on for a while that my photos are often "flat" they don't have a lot of visual depth to them. I took this and then started thinking about how I tell stories to people and I discovered kinda the same thing, I think I hold back my story telling (verbally and photographically) because I'm afraid of something..it's that something I haven't pinned down yet, but I need to work on it. Anyway, here's the video:

The dark side

2008-09-19T15:56:00.003-04:00

Well, I've made the leap. As of today I'm officially a Nikon shooter. I got my D300 in the mail today, and I'm not looking back. It's not that I dislike Canon, they make some sweet stuff (that new 5D mk II looks amazing) but frankly it's a light-tight box with a sensor in it. So if anyone is looking to buy any canon gear, hit me up, I have some that's looking for a home.

Whew...

2008-09-18T18:36:00.006-04:00

Well it's official. I've created my first project in Final Cut Pro. It's not the friendliest of programs at first glance but once you get rolling I can't imagine going back to iMovie or Audacity (though I still am amazed at what you can do with that FREE program). For multimedia class we had to do an autobiographical project. I would love to put it up here for everyone to see but blogger doesn't seem to like it. (hopefully I'll be switching to wordpress before too long) Maybe I'll be able to get it up soon.

For the piece though I went for a walk in the woods and recorded my thoughts and photographed the journey. I wish it could've been more reflective and introspective but I think I was too distracted by trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. Overall I'm decently happy with the piece but know I could've done better. I've noticed these first couple weeks that I feel like I'm holding myself back from producing more excellent pieces of work. I'm not sure why but I need to step it up for me to be satisfied.

Anyway, here are some random photos and photos from the autobiography piece. I wanted to show some of the confusion and angst that I feel on a regular basis.

Random shot from the hip

I ate SPAM!! It really wasn't too bad though I couldn't convince Stephanie to even look at it :-)

A sign of things to come.

2008-09-03T12:56:00.004-04:00

Well my first assignment for grad school is in the bag (yea I had a summer session but that doesn't really count) and if it's a sign of the semester I might be bald by the end of it. I think I took too much time off from shooting and have completely gotten out of any sort of workflow and am now suffering the consequences. But, it'll be good, it's why I'm here. Let's hope I can keep that positive outlook through the semester. Anyway, here's some photos from the project, a photo scavenger hunt.

Fear (or lack thereof)

Light

Reflection

Sunny Day

First Vistor!

2008-08-31T17:25:00.002-04:00

Stephanie's friend Julie came to visit. She was officially our first vistor in Syracuse. We went out to Dinosaur BBQ and then I listened to them gossip all night while we drank wine. Like me, Julie (on the right) is a bit of a lightweight. :-) Come back anytime Jules!

The State Fair

2008-08-31T16:44:00.004-04:00

I feel a very introspective blog post coming up, but not quite yet. For the time being some photos from the New York State Fair. This thing was huge, I went to the state fair in Wisconsin and it didn't seem this big. I was there with my buddy Drew and we were doing a photo scavenger hunt for class. Speaking of which, I've officially started the fall semester at Syracuse. I've changed my schedule at least four times but have finally settled on three classes: Photojournalism, Multimedia (both taught by the incredible and ever-friendly Bruce Strong) and a class where I'll be working with high school kids and trying to show them ways to express themselves creatively. The last one will be particularly interesting. As far as taking two classes from Bruce, well I've heard his classes are intense, but then again he's a big reason I came to Syracuse so I figure I should work my butt off for it. A few photos:

Shark, Gator...Meatballs? Must be exotic in Europe or something...

New York's finest keeping an eye on things.

Oh, and the first day of school. She was excited :-).

A little vacation...

2008-08-22T21:32:00.005-04:00

Steph and I needed a little vacation. Going back to school was a little stressful for me and her first internship was a little stressful for her, so we decided we needed to get away. Where do two relatively poor college students go for a quick three-day vacation? Salem, Massachusetts of course! We checked out some witch history, saw some neat things, did a lot of shopping in all the wiccan and magic-related shops in town and basically just had a nice relaxing time. The coolest part though was the bed & breakfast we stayed in. While we were trying to figure out where to go and what to do on our vacation we were searching for hotels, camping spots, B&B's and couldn't find anything that wasn't either too expensive or too far away from all the action. But magically Steph found this place called the Stephen Daniel's House just a couple blocks from downtown Salem. It was only a tad bit more expensive than the cheapest hotels and it came with so much more. The woman who runs the place is one of the sweetest old-ladies I've ever met. Kay Gill has lived in the 1600s house for 46 years and boy has she collected a lot of antiques. This place had some crazy stuff. It was a very cool place, I would definitely go back again. As for relaxing, well I'm still working on that but it helped getting away. The fall semester starts Monday so I better start getting in the mood.

This place is a little witch crazy.

Rock star sunglasses B-)

A little self-portrait on the way.

These dolls were all over the B&B we stayed at

I'm not sure why, but I like taking photos of signs and the tops of buildings when there are clouds in the sky.

Yup..that's the name of it, nope I didn't go in

Some wedding fun

2008-08-17T12:37:00.004-04:00

This weekend Stephanie's best friend Nicki got married to her long-time boyfriend Chip. I've been shooting a few weddings in the past few months and everytime I call Steph and tell her how much I wish she was at them with me so it was nice to finally go together to a wedding. I might have a bit of a crush on her you could say ;-). It was a lot of fun and I drank a little too much wine, but it all ended well. The hotel we stayed in was straight out of the 70's. The bride and groom suite had a jacuzzi in the bedroom and mirrors on the ceiling...definitely classy ;-).

Nicki and Chip before a little cake to face smoosh battle.

Go Steph! Go Steph! (she's got some moves)

Again the hotel was a little strange, this was the hallway our room was in, not a single light on...

Some strangeness and a great find!

2008-08-15T10:03:00.004-04:00

Wow..yesterday I picked up my camera and spent any real time shooting for the first time in several weeks. I need to find something to work on. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of events and emotions but I think things are finally settling down. The fall semester starts up in about a week and I'm looking forward to be challenged and learning new things. Oh and also kind of on that note, I'm making an official announcement on here. I'm switching to...Nikon (GASP!). It's true, I've just decided it makes more sense in the long run and well frankly they're coming out with some pretty sweet cameras right now. So yea..all my Canon friends out there...don't judge me when I'm shooting with the black lenses. :-)

Yesterday Steph took me along to her assignment. It was an antique show, actually more of an extravaganza, it was HUGE. I mean miles of road were lined with tents full of antiques. I'm thinking she took me along to go shopping ;-). But it was pretty cool, of course a little strange to see toys and other things from my childhood being considered antiques. Ah well.

We found a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em!! I've wanted one of these for so long...definitely made the day.

It was like a mannequin horror show...

Dolls creep me out.

There were a lot of stuffed animal heads and animal parts.

Someone has a sense of humor ;-).

...

I don't know why, but this is one of those balls you would sit on and bounce up and down and it seemed very wrong to me.

A little hair malfunction before a wedding shower :-D

Coming into the modern age.

2008-07-30T12:31:00.003-04:00

Well first off...we have TV! Well...kinda. We have two channels, and I guess as of Feb. 2009 we won't have those, but for the time being it's a nice distraction. On a related note, we also have a couch! No more living room picnics for us! It's been a long time since i've updated so you would guess that I have a lot to say. Not so much...school has pretty much taken over my life but thankfully only a couple more weeks until a short break before the fall semester. It's been pretty interesting this summer, I've been taking a Com. Theory class and a Graphic Design class. The Com Theory class is especially interesting, who knew people analyzed the way people and the media interact so much? Of course anyone who knows me knows that I love the graphic design class, we've done a lot in a short time including logo designs, event posters and currently I'm creating a layout for a magazine. It's been intense but I know it's all useful for my world. Other than that, not much to speak of...Syracuse is an interesting city, it's about the size of Madison, Wis. but without the friendliness or general fun, relaxed atmosphere. I wouldn't consider it a city I want to live in for very long, but at the same time it's grittiness provides numerous photo opportunities that I plan on taking advantage as soon as I can motivate myself to get out and start shooting again.

Steph taking advantage of both the TV and new couch :-P

Common Ground

2008-07-30T11:48:00.003-04:00

I think often times as photographers (especially as young photographers) we often feel like we have to have a story and we have to get it done quickly. In some ways I wouldn't disagree but here's a tremendous story by the Chicago Tribune's Scott Strazzante that was produced by MediaStorm. He spent 14 years (!) doing it, now that's patience and I think it was completely worth it. Either click on the photo below or here is the link.

I want one!

2008-07-27T15:25:00.003-04:00

Was out and about the other day checking out parks in the area and came across this amazing machine. I want one...

2008-07-23T12:55:00.002-04:00

I know I know..I need to post. We're again without internet. Shortly I'll be back in the blogosphere...i hope :-)

"Every child is born an artist." -Picasso

2008-07-11T18:47:00.002-04:00

I don't care who you are or what you do, if you have 20 extra minutes you should watch this.

The Cloud is Falling

2008-07-08T09:17:00.005-04:00

For anyone interested in reading about the current state of the photo industry and it's future check out Vincent Laforet's story at Sportsshooter here. It is tremendously interesting and insightful. Some highlights:

"As you can see, like the overall economy, the media industry is being sent into a vicious downward spiral - and in an effort to slow the bloodletting, many are amputating one of the legs they stand on: quality content."

"Still photographs will always be around - we will see a slide show on a website 10-20 years from now - but it will likely incorporate video, sound and a variety of other artistic media into something we just haven't quite seen yet. However I don't think that still photographs will continue to dominate the front page of the New York Times or any online publication - those days in my opinion are clearly numbered."

"Photographers will have to think of themselves as visual storytellers - not just as still photographers. Photographers will becomes much more adept at producing multimedia content - not just boring slide shows w/ music - but ones that are truly engaging and original..."

"If I were 22-years old right out of college looking for a job or a career path, I wouldn't be focusing on working on x newspaper to get to y newspaper and then eventually z magazine with my 20 image portfolio that contains 2 spot news photos, 4 sports pix, 4 feature photos, and a 10 picture story. That model is dead - to put it bluntly. I'd be thinking big - realizing that I have a chance to be a pioneer in this new world of opportunity. Trying to think up of the next big thing."

Starting anew.

2008-07-05T17:00:00.008-04:00

Well we're in our new-new place finally, it's much better, safer and feels like home. It's been a busy couple of weeks, I'm finally an Orange-man with grad school finally under way. I'm taking a graphic design class (sweet) and a communication theory class (the jury is still out on this one). It'll be an intense six weeks but it'll be good. There are about 15 photo students in my grad class with about 10 of us starting this summer (the rest I assume will come in the fall). There's the whole range of skills and types in my class with everything from photographers who were more focused on other multimedia skills to newspaper photographers to some that shot for non-profits. It'll be an interesting couple of years! All good people and I'm looking forward to getting to know all of them better. Other than that, we went to some fireworks last night in a small town nearby, it was fun. It was much different than the gigantic show that is Rhythm and Booms in Madison which actually was rather cool because it had a nice small-town feel to it.

A beautiful sunset before the fireworks.

You just have to grill on the 4th.

Oh grad school orientation...

Syracuse has a AAA baseball team!

She didn't like the rain at the baseball game... :-)

Oye...

2008-07-02T11:52:00.003-04:00

Can't report much yet, as I'm stealing internet and it isn't very fast, but moving is going pretty well but at the same time we've realized a few more things were stolen from us than we knew before. Thankfully we're out of there but it still sucks all the same...

Movin' on up!

2008-06-28T07:08:00.003-04:00

Sorry no pictures today and I probably won't be able to post for a while because we're MOVING!! Thankfully the landlord is letting us move out. Between dead bodies, stolen bikes and lives being threatened (specifically mine during a short walk around the neighborhood) it was time to go.
The new place has a dishwasher, garbage disposal, air conditioning, two bedrooms, level floors and the best part...a place for a grill! It's going to be nice, it's funny how you appreciate those things when you don't have them. I guess I feel a bit like a chicken, giving up on a place when I plan on spending time in places worse than this as a photographer. But for right now I figure if we don't have to live in a place that isn't safe, we shouldn't. So now, on to a new adventure! Oh and if you want to help me move I'll gladly accept the help :-).

Luck of the Irish

2008-06-23T11:57:00.002-04:00

So Stephanie and I were walking through the park this morning and it was literally covered in clovers. So I being the silly romantic I am said "Hey want to spend all day looking for four-leaf clovers?!" She jokingly replied "Sure!" Then just randomly, I looked down and picked one out of all of them! It took no less that three seconds from asking to my picking one! What a random day, I'm going to buy a lottery ticket now.

A Walk in the Park II

2008-06-21T19:45:00.004-04:00

Little Lola (Stephanie's Jack Russell) is visiting this week so I took her to the park for a little walk, and by little I mean 8.3 miles. Now Lola is about a year and a half and never runs out of energy, she basically pulled me the entire walk. It was nice though because I miss my dogs so much in Wisconsin that I really enjoyed the time with her. Other than that, not much going on. We're moving out of our apartment due to recent events and moving into a new place with two bedrooms, air conditioning, a place for a grill, a dishwasher (!) AND no dead bodies...always a plus. School starts in 10 days! Thank god, I've been getting (or have been for a while) bored.

She's a cutie.

Yup, this was my view for most of the walk.

About 90 years ago this area was farm fields.

Things are looking up.

The barber didn't do a very good job so Steph had to fix a few parts.

I think they call this "political suicide".

Full of Hot Air

2008-06-15T20:50:00.005-04:00

Recently I seem to be full of hot air. I'll apologize again, I'm sorry. Beyond that I went to a hot air balloon festival today. I went up in one of the balloons which turned out to be quite the adventure. In addition to getting the balloon lost and waiting around for the chase crew for almost an hour the pilot of the balloon actually dipped us (myself and a family of three) in a lake. It was a fun time. Early morning...but fun time. As far as me being full of hot air, well it happens to all of us sometimes I guess, I just frequent it more often, fixing that is a task I'm undertaking and I hope to improve. Oh...and I'm convinced our building is home to half the pigeons in Syracuse.

I need a bb gun.

Over 20 balloons took off this morning of the balloon festival.

Stephanie is in that balloon way up there!

This is my balloon. It was the sleekest balloon in the air.

We landed in a field that couldn't be found.

Sweet.....

2008-06-11T13:40:00.001-04:00

Yesterday a dead body in the lobby. Today my bike is gone and it was in the building, a locked building. I'm not comparing the two in significance but seriously, what the hell...

Always interesting around here...

2008-06-10T09:59:00.004-04:00

At least three times a day we hear sirens zoom past our apartment and being photographers we're always wondering what's going on, where the cops/medics are going to. Based on the number that drive past I figured it wouldn't take too long for one to stop at our building. Well this morning at about 8am it happened. At first the fire department showed up and ran inside with a defibrilllator. I figured someone had a problem with the heat (it's been 90+ degrees the last few days). Being curious I walked downstairs and low and behold there was a dead body in the lobby! No one from our building, no one knows who he is exactly. It didn't look like he died from anything other than natural causes though that has yet to be determined. Ohh I picked a great place to live...

Syracuse Police pulling the body out of our apartment building.

Pennies for the Piggy Bank

2008-06-09T18:36:00.004-04:00

I shot a wedding this past weekend. It was nice to get out of the apartment for a bit and shoot with a purpose. It was a good day. Extremely hot, but good. They were a very nice couple coming from Italian families and I gotta say, they were Italian! Great taste in everything, good food, music and I've never so many people on the dance floor at a wedding either. It was a good time.

f/8 and be there

2008-06-08T10:39:00.002-04:00

Great post by David Alan Harvey. Some personal favorite quotes:

"so many photographers have the hardest time facing the fact that they simply must just "get out the door"...whether they go next door or around the world makes no difference at all....it does not matter where the "there" is, but you cannot be "there" if you are not THERE...."

"i always implore the photographers i mentor, to please please minimize the "who can i get to know" list and maximize the "here is what i will do" list..."

Waiting for the cable guy

2008-06-06T15:45:00.009-04:00

Well I spent the day waiting for the cable guy to show up and install it at the apartment. It was one of those wonderfully specific "The contractor will be there between Noon and 5pm please have someone at your home."...kinda things. Not like I have anything better to do. Of course it was supposed to be installed earlier this week but they didn't even show up. Today I decided to entertain myself by photographing a few things around the apartment. It's an interesting place. It other news, I'm off to Newark, NJ to photograph a wedding tomorrow, I loaned a 40D from CPS which is sweet so we'll see how it works out.

Because regular ol' hot pads are just boring.

I tried laying on the floor to cool down.

There's always beauty in the world and for 99 cents these are the prettiest flowers in the world.

Yup, that's the Last Supper hanging about the mantel. No, I'm not becoming more religious (though I probably should).

Car Keys...I was bored OKAY?!?

Yea...I broke the blinds...and Houdini didn't approve.

It's so hot today...

A poor snow cone that didn't make it. I think it kinda looks like the bad guys in Pacman.

A walk in the park + a couple old things

2008-06-01T11:24:00.009-04:00

Spent the last couple days at Highland County Forest. It's about 3000 acres of farmland turned forest. It was nice just relaxing and walking around the trails. Definitely some fun stuff to do in New York. Oh and I got my new 17-35mm!! Of course I wanted the 16-35mm but for $500 more for only 1mm difference it wasn't worth it to me. It's sweet, I love it and it's nice to have a wide-angle again!

Mmmmm..BBQ as my last lunch at the Loudoun Times-Mirror...it was good. Thankfully Syracuse has an excellent BBQ place!

Yup, she got a D300...I don't want to talk about it :-P

There were no less than 75 photos taken of a random frog she found in the woods.

It might have been traumatized, or a diva, I'm not sure which.

Obligatory photo of flowers in the woods.

I love ferns.

I don't understand why 17 MPH, but we tried not to drive too fast.

Which way do we go?

The Great

2008-05-28T21:51:00.001-04:00

He's a good man, really he is.

A few more

2008-05-28T17:41:00.003-04:00

A few more sidewalk folk by Miss Makosky.

I need something to do...

2008-05-28T13:36:00.009-04:00

It's hard to believe I've been in Syracuse for almost a month now, but frankly it's been a little slow around here. Not having a job or even a lens shorter than 85mm (yes, I know I should challenge myself to shoot with it) has limited my motivation and I think I'm going a little stir-crazy. I did order a 17-35 so hopefully by the end of the week I'll be hitting the streets around the apartment and meeting some of the interesting people.
Speaking of, we live in a very interesting neighborhood, one my mother would probably not approve of. On one side we have what you would consider the slums of Syracuse (low-income housing is going up across the street) and on the other side we have a few assisted-living facilities with people who deal with schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. Either way it makes for interesting people walking by on the sidewalk and I decided to set up the ol' camera on a tripod and shoot the people that walk by. It was a combined effort however I think she got some of the more original ones. Oh, and if anyone has any suggestions on how to break this streak of boredom please let me know.

A guest appearance by yours truly...

Internet!! Finally!!

2008-05-23T09:41:00.006-04:00

So for the last few weeks I've been missing in action a little bit. We finally got internet at the apartment today and it's amazing how much it was missed! Ohhh dependency... Anyway, the last few weeks have been fun and rather busy. Stephanie and I went a saw Alex Webb speak, visited the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg, drove to Wisconsin (I was fortunate enough to get a speeding ticket on the way :( ) to see my family and friends and have put together a rather nice apartment (even though there isn't a level floor in the place) in the mean-time. So here's a few photos from the past few weeks. Oh...and I desperately need a wide-angle ASAP, having sold my 24mm this past week.

Oh lucky apartment 13... and no the crookedness of the door is not due to lens distortion or anything else...there isn't a level surface in the apartment :-/

Yup...he's a rather amazing photographer!

Our kick ass kitchen chairs! (We have a 70's era theme to our kitchen)

Re-creation of a famous photo from the Civil War. It was kinda weird thinking we laid in a spot where a dead person once was, regardless of it being over 150 years ago.

Fun photo through a window in downtown Gettysburg.

She's a little strange :-)

She wanted to be closer to nature, it wasn't what she expected. I may be the reason for that :-P

Mmmmmm....New Glarus Spotted Cow beer at the Union terrace at UW..soo good.

Poor Lola really didn't enjoy being dressed up.

A little rainy day guitar playing :-)

A New Place

2008-05-19T19:43:00.004-04:00

I know I haven't updated in awhile but I haven't gotten internet at the apartment yet. It's been a rush of moving, unpacking, shopping for storage solutions and then more unpacking. It's been an interesting so far. A bottle of champagne was part of the celebration however. I was told adding berries to it would be tasty and they certainly were! Especially after soaking up the alcohol! Anyway, I'll update more when I get internet (this coming friday!!)

Last Day

2008-04-29T16:39:00.002-04:00

Well 602 days ago I started at the Loudoun Times-Mirror. My first job out of college it's been as educational and exciting as it has been frustrating. It's taught me a lot about the world of newspapers and the "real world" in general. As of tomorrow I will pack up my life and move to Syracuse, New York and start my life there. I have a nice apartment (with a fireplace!), a sweet girl who I'll get to see more than just on the weekends and a future that hopefully will be again educational, exciting and certainly frustrating. I start school June 30th so I'll get a couple months to relax and find my way around the area. It's going to be exciting. Also, since I love inspirational stuff and my friend Tim Gruber so regularly posts such stuff on his blog, I thought I'd pass this along. Or here's the main guts of the article:

* You can't polish a sneaker.
* Learn to say "I don't know." If used when appropriate, it will be used often.
* You remember 1/3 of what you read, 1/2 of what people tell you, but 100 percent of what you feel.
* Look for what is missing. Many know how to improve what's there; few can see what isn't there.
* Never direct a complaint to the top; a serious offense is to "cc" a person's boss on a copy of a complaint before the person has a chance to respond.
* Treat the name of your company as if it were your own.
* Have fun at what you do. It will be reflected in your work. No one likes a grump except another grump!
* When faced with decisions, try to look at them as if you were one level up in the organization. Your perspective will change quickly.
* If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
* When something appears on a slide presentation, assume that the world knows about it and deal with it accordingly.
* A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter -- or to others -- is not a nice person. (This rule never fails.)
* When facing issues or problems that are becoming drawn out, "short them to ground."

Thanks to everyone at the Loudoun Times-Mirror for everything.

It's gonna be a busy couple years

2008-04-23T18:37:00.004-04:00

Well it's been awhile, I've been going a little crazy dealing with changing my life from the professional photography world to becoming a student again, who knew how much my parents did for me during undergrad!? So I received an email from Terry Eiler at Ohio University the other day. Turns out I have been accepted to OU! It's very humbling to think that of the four grad schools I applied to, three of them accepted me. It makes me think maybe there is something to me being a photographer. Anyway, pretty neat. I'm still going to Syracuse, I felt after my visits to the school that Syracuse was the place for me to be. I'm looking forward to it. So here's a few photos from the last couple days, it's been fun!

Random photo I took on the way to dinner.

She's a bad ass.

I stole some time during a fashion shoot. :-P

Ozzy somehow defied gravity if only for a moment.

Yea..I get that look occasionally. :-)

Yup..cliche sunset on another chapter of my life.

Three more weeks...three more...

2008-04-07T20:45:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking recently that I don't have much to do other than go to work right now. I spend most of my time avoiding my apartment because my landlord/roommate seems to have a vendetta against me and likes to basically tell me I can't do anything other than sit in my room and be quiet. It's just an uncomfortable situation overall. I'm at a point where I'm just counting down the days until I move up to Syracuse and can move past all the stress being in Virginia is causing me. April 30 I'm outta here. 23 days. But without much distraction in my life I feel like it's going to feel like a long wait. I found this quote of a post on A Photo Editor. It 's interesting to think about and like he says, can be applied to photographers. I need to find something to do with myself.

“Y’know, I grew up in a different generation. I grew up after World War II, and boys did different things in those days. You went camping. You went hunting. You boxed. And the image of a writer, to someone starting off in those days was not some schmuck who went to graduate school. It was Jack London, Nelson Algren, Ernest Hemingway. Especially coming from Chicago–a writer was a knock-around guy. Someone who got a job as a reporter or drove a cab. I think the reason there are a lot of novels about How Mean My Mother Was to Me and all that shit is because the writers may have learned something called ‘technique,’ but they’ve neglected to have a life. What the fuck are they gonna write about?”

–David Mamet

Eh..why not?

2008-04-07T20:23:00.002-04:00

I know I know, they're virtually the same photo, but I still like them both. The first girl is Natalie Baird. She's set the all-time high school record in Virginia for discus throw at 159 feet and 4 inches. That's crazy, I'm not sure I could throw anything that far. The other girl is Julia Anyaugo. While she's not as good as Natalie in the throwing world she has an amazing stride when it comes to the hurdles. Photos of that you ask? Yea...I suck and only got one that may be newspaper sharp...maybe. In other words I got bupkiss. Either way, just a short update.

APRIL FOOL'S!!

2008-04-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

To everyone, sorry I cried wolf, but the post below was APRIL FOOL'S!!!

Life just keeps on changing...

2008-04-01T20:29:00.003-04:00

So a couple weeks ago I was given the news that I had been accepted into Syracuse's photo grad program and also that I had won a nice award from the Virginia Press Association. Well today just made things more interesting. Today I received a call from USA Today asking me to come interview for a photo position. I did I double take thinking it was an April Fool's joke but I called them back and nope, it's real! The paper is right here in Virginia, literally only a half-hour away from my current place so if I get it it'll definitely be easy to start! Apparently one of their recent hires that I know passed my name along and they decided to give me a call. It's rather unbelievable but I can't say that I'm not honored and rather humbled by the whole thing. I can't believe it!!

So I went for a walk...

2008-03-28T20:59:00.004-04:00

...and I haven't gone for one in quite a while. It was nice. I should definitely start exercising again. So I had an interesting conversation last night with a man I photographed a while back. He gave me some good advice. He said no matter what decisions we make or what we do any given day, that the sun will still rise the next day and the sky will still be blue. Good advice to think about whenever you're worried about your place in the world or what the consequences of what you do might be. It makes me think that everyday starts anew and yesterdays decisions belong to yesterday and today is a new day.

Diptychs

2008-03-27T16:31:00.004-04:00

So whenever I'm driving around to or from an assignment occasionally I'll come across someone that just peaks my interest and I tell myself to turn around and photograph them. I've slowly started creating diptychs from them. Here's what I have so far. Just some random people along the way. They've all had interesting stories. The final one is of my grandpa.
This is Stephen Gredler. He has lived in this bus for two years. He drives around to various farms and works for the owners for a brief while to earn money and to have a place to park his bus.

This is Tom Melgaard. He is allergic to just about everything in the outdoors, but it doesn't stop him from taking care of his lawn. He said he would like to hire someone to do it but can't afford to.

This is Floyd Rogers. He's a World War II veteran from the Navy. He has lived in the same house for over 30 years. He has diabetes and has a difficult time walking but when he can he takes a walk around the block.

This is my grandpa. Growing up I remember his giving the biggest bear hugs you can imagine. He has worked in the same bowling alley, maintaining the machines for more years than I've been alive.

A few good and an oops

2008-03-22T15:34:00.003-04:00

I'm rather happy with this portrait. Feel free to bash.

Apparently I have no idea how to photograph skateboarding. It probably took 50 tries before I got the skateboard in the place it was supposed to be.

She thought he was crazy. He thought he was crazy. I can relate ;-).

And yea...this is what happens when you leave your exposure for indoors set and then go shoot outdoors...oops.

The Cheap Seats

2008-03-21T17:17:00.003-04:00

I was out at the local reservoir last week looking for features and as I was walking around I noticed a significant amount of trash. One of common themes seemed to be various styles of seating. So with a lack of people around to photograph I figured I'd shoot something. It's kinda sad to see people leave this stuff around and I have no idea who would go to the trouble to drag a toilet out there.

Luck of the Irish

2008-03-17T20:49:00.003-04:00

Well a year ago I was told that I'm about 1/3 Irish. After today (being St. Patty's Day and all) I definitely am a believer in the luck of the Irish. I found out that one of my photos won 'Best in Show' at the Virginia Press Association convention this weekend and I also was accepted to grad schools at Texas and Syracuse! It's been a good day, I'm glad I was able to spend it with someone special ;-). Here's some pics from last weekend and this. It was also the weekend for the NPPA Northern Short Course which was interesting but didn't really get me thinking until the speakers on Saturday. I was definitely inspired by all of the them but especially Gregory Heisler and Kristen Ashburn...so goood.

Kite in the Sky, oh so high.

:-D

DC Metro

Street scene from Rochester, NY

This is Jay. He promised he wouldn't use the money I gave him for booze. I hope not.

Let's do the time warp AGAIN!!

2008-03-10T18:18:00.013-04:00

It was her birthday, she was excited. I did good. :-)

A Platon-inspired photo

It was rather windy on the National Mall this weekend.

The National Gallery of Art. I could spend all day in this building.

Yup...I went under the needle. Gots me a tattoo. Don't tell my mom.

Just a random shot from the Spelling Bee I shot last week.

This guy couldn't pronounce the words correctly at the spelling bee to save his life.

A local soccer player who no doubt will play at a high level one day.

One of the big controversies in the area is the construction of a powerline that is going to criss-cross people's land, including this couples'.

Well it was a fun weekend, got to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show which was definitely an event to see. No photos from that however, I wanted to sit and enjoy it without a camera separating me and the experience. What a good weekend...

Live Life. Love Life.

2008-03-04T18:01:00.004-05:00

It was a rather interesting weekend. I could rant for several hours I think. Instead I'll present one of the constants in my life; photography.

Oh high school love... Every fight seemed like the end of the world.

I thought it was funny this sign was hidden.

Drummer shadow and a drum set.

Security. I could've used you guys during the band in the next image.

This band was what is sometimes called a "scream metal" band. A bunch of the kids watching started a mosh pit and I definitely got bumped several times. This is about how I saw the band.

The guitarist of this group was amazing, but this bassist definitely wasn't a slouch.

Stop and Go

2008-02-27T18:43:00.004-05:00

On my way to an assignment this evening I saw no less than ten photo opportunities. They were everywhere I looked! But I didn't make an image of any of them. Not a one. Except this red light. Which I thought was actually kind of appropriate. I stop myself all the time from photographing things. Why? I don't want to interfere, or can't convince myself that the photo will be worth anything. Not monetarily but in significance. I'm a schmuck for thinking that. Hopefully one of these days I'll get it through my head that I should "Just keep shooting". Which is some wise advice that I got recently.

I'm not living. I'm just killing time.

2008-02-27T16:22:00.003-05:00

It's one of those days that is a struggle to get through.

Some old-time jazz

2008-02-20T17:11:00.003-05:00

Last night I photographed this group of old men that play together as a jazz band. They made fun of each other the entire night and were entirely decent musicians. I'd listen to them anytime. In this photo Mike Ritter plays his cornet.

Everlasting Endeavor

2008-02-19T13:31:00.003-05:00

I was bouncing around the internet and came across this article from the Washington Post. A very interesting read that touches on something I think a lot of people are ignoring. I also watched the movie "American Gangster" the other day and had a bit of a thought. It's a rare thing sometimes. In the movie at one point there's a broadcast of a news story about soldiers in Vietnam using heroin and how prevalent it was. It made me think about how popular drugs were during that time and that possibly people were using them to escape the realities of the world at the time. Then I concluded that perhaps people are turning to the tabloids and celebrity news in an effort to escape the current realities of the world and also just to see other people more screwed up than themselves. Are celebrity tabloids todays heroin? I don't know, I'm a self-described news-junkie and try not to shy away from the world. But I've also been known to click on the lastest update of Britney's actions on CNN. Who knows?

I spent the weekend in Syracuse, it was a fun time.

It was WinterFest weekend in Syracuse.

I love Reese's Pieces and Skittles.

:-)

Every time between mile markers 120 and 104 on I-81 there's nothing but the thickest fog you can imagine. I drove through it at 75mph. I was told I would be killed if I ever did that again. :-)

Too bad it didn't break open...

2008-02-15T12:57:00.003-05:00

Well on the 12th the DC area was hit by an ice storm. The wonders that be in Virgina don't really believe in putting salt down but rather think that sand will make things better when ice is everywhere. Now I've only ever driven on icy, snowy roads and I'm not afraid to drive on them. Plus I drive a Jeep so ice really is my friend...kinda. Well not on this day. This day this parking meter was my friend and not in a good way but we were close, if only for a moment. The damn thing leans now because of my bumper.

2008-02-10T16:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was an interesting day.

Some more recent photos

2008-02-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

So I've been trying to see things differently recently, take more chances with my photos and at the same time make more mistakes. Here's some stuff that has happened within the past couple weeks that i happen to point my camera at. I took a trip around the midwest/northeast checking out Ohio University, seeing my counsin and visiting Syracuse University. The purpose was to explore the photo grad schools I've applied to and see what they're all about. I love staying in hotels by the way, makes you feel like you're actually traveling.
A self-portrait in Syracuse

They do call Ohio the armpit of the nation and this is what greeted me as I entered it.

I haven't had Rax since I was a kid. It's kinda like Arby's and was a favorite growing up.

A self-portrait through the shower curtain at the hotel.

My cousin, left and her roommate Laura.

A little stoned guitar playing (i wasn't entirely sober myself taking this photo)

Driving somewhere through West Virginia

Having a little fun with the window.

The AFC championship game I believe.

Just wanted to update...

2008-02-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

...to let the few of you (maybe only my mother) that I'm still alive. This is a photo that I took awhile ago, but just like.

A funeral

2008-01-06T23:06:00.001-05:00

So my life recently has seemed a sort of sometimes in and sometimes out of control mess. I think it is leading me to where I need to go but in the mean time it's pissing me off. It's been a seesaw between depression and elation and I have been wanting it to settle down. Of course it all changed by going to a funeral. A firefighter's funeral. The funeral of Lt. Alex Keepers of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. He was killed in a car accident on New Year's Eve. While I was getting drunk and counting down from ten he was dying. I have nothing to bitch about.